http://www.wssob.com/conclusion.html The most famous clandestine society was "ODESSA" - the Organisation Der Ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen ("Organization of Former SS Members") a secret (some say fictional) organization dedicated to providing an "underground railroad" to help former SS members, Nazis and collaborators escape persecution. ODESSA is said to have been founded by Luftwaffe ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel & Otto Skorzeny in 1947.Escape routes, called "rat lines" were set up, with safe houses and trusted confidants who could provide shelter, money and false identity papers in order to send the escapees to the next stop on the route. Escapees were smuggled to countries with pro-fascist leanings, such as Spain, Argentina, Paraguay or several nations in the the Middle East. ODESSA supposedly ceased to exist circa 1952, replaced by Kameradenwerke ("Comrade Workshop"), dedicated to helping former Nazi evade capture or exposure in their host countries via new developing new identities and cover stories. ODESSA earned a certain notoriety with the publication of Frederick Forsyth's political suspense thriller The Odessa File in 1972. Although the full story may never be known, what is certain is that thousands of individuals were able, with assistance by unknown parties, evade persecution for their actions in WWII by secretly emigrating to various countries and often assuming new identities. These individuals include: Josef Mengele Auschwitz "Angel of Death" Adolf Eichmann, SS-RSHA (escaped until captured by Israeli agents in 1962) Eichmann's adj. Franz Stangl Klaus Barbie. Gestapo officer of Lyon Walter Kutschmann, Gestapo officer Gustav Wagner, Commandant of the Soirbibor camp Franz Stangl Commandant of Treblinka camp Ante Palevic, former fascist dictator of Croatia SS-Oberführer Leon Degrelle [although Degrelle managed to escape by plane from Norway to Spain in the spring of 1945] SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny Jacques Marie de Mahieu - French W-SS officer (member of Charlemagne division?) and Nazi anthropologist ------------ Got more info on ODESSA-Please put it here!
Great stuff and--just last week on the History Channel--they had a 1 hr special on The Odessa File. By the way--I read the book--liked it very much--love the movie as you see places in it that I actually walked or drove in. I wish more things could be brought up on this and Die Spinner.
Italian war crime trial points to 'new Odessa' By Peter Popham in Rome Published: 28 August 2004 Italian war crime trial points to 'new Odessa' - Independent Online Edition > Europe
Well,did it exist actually at all or was it just fictional. It seems there were routes through Italy and Spain but Odessa was not it?!!